


Mending Issues

by orphan_account



Category: Monster High
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8834452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Cleo can't stop thinking about something Ghoulia said to her. Inspired by the School's Out diaries.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because Cleo and Ghoulia's relationship is super important to me and I could go on for hours about how much I love the two of them being best friends! This was inspired by one of Cleo's entries in her "School's Out" diary where she talks about Ghoulia snapping at her about something and being upset over it.
> 
> The italics are meant to stand for Ghoulia speaking in zombie language.

Cleo stared at her reflection, long and hard, her face set in the same stony expression it had been in when she first approached her vanity. Her hair was long and soft, her eyes were bright and beautiful, her posture regal and confident. Only the longer she looked, the more the knot in her stomach seemed to grow.

"Hissette," she sighed, turning away from the mirror. "What's _wrong_ with me?"

Her precious pet snake merely made a sound akin to her namesake in response. Cleo gave her an affectionate pat on the head. Sometimes she wished she could truly speak to her.

She crossed the room so she could sit on her bed, checking her iCoffin. A blank screen met her eyes. Tossing it aside, she laid back and wondered if Ghoulia would even come tonight.

Ever since their small spat earlier, something had felt off. Different. It was merely a misunderstanding, an exchange of harsh words, not even the worst of disagreements the two had ever been in, but it still made Cleo feel funny.

She had considered, several times that day, if the feeling could be guilt.

The incident happened earlier during school. Cleo had seen Ghoulia sitting by herself at the creepateria and wondered why she wasn't sitting with her and Deuce. She approached her to ask, Ghoulia snapped at her ( _"Can you please take your own notes and give me just a moment of privacy?"_ she could still hear the words ringing in her ears) and Cleo left her alone after that.

 _"I don't understand!"_ she had been saying to Deuce afterwards. _"I only wanted to see why she was sitting by herself."_

_"Everyone has their off days, babe. Just give her some time."_

Time was what Cleo gave her, which paid off later in the day. Ghoulia apologized for being snippy with her and she knew that should have been the end of it but still, even after more than several hours passing, the words still stung and Cleo simply couldn't shake the strange feelings the incident gave her away.

She was close to telling Ghoulia to forget even coming when a ding from her iCoffin beat her to the punch.

**_Almost there. Lots of traffic. xx_ **

The text message at least brought a smile to Cleo's face. _Of course Ghoulia was still coming._ She smoothed down her pajama pants and checked her reflection in the mirror one last time; even in sleepwear Cleo needed to look her absolute best.

Several more minutes passed until she heard the doorbell ringing. She walked down the steps ("A queen never runs or rushes for anyone," her father would say) and held one hand up to halt the de Nile servants from answering the door.

Ghoulia looked just as surprised when she was met with Cleo instead of an unfamiliar face as per usual, but she didn't comment on it, which Cleo was grateful for.

"Hello," she said, and Ghoulia nodded back.

The air felt weird and awkward and nothing like how things usually were. Cleo suddenly wished she would have sent the "forget it" text. She absolutely hated dealing with things like this, and if she could, she would ask the servants to do it for her.

 _"I brought some movies,"_ Ghoulia said, holding up a rented copy of _Clawless_ and _1600 Candlesticks_.

They were some of her favorites. That meant Ghoulia must have been thinking about her when picking them out, and Cleo had to remind herself that was typically when someone would say the words thank you, a phrase that wasn't a part of her father's vocabulary.

"Very well," is what Cleo said instead and she turned to lead Ghoulia up to her room so she could avoid actually looking at her.

Once they reached her room Cleo waited for Ghoulia to put her bags away before gesturing for her to sit on the bed.

"I'd like to speak to you about something before this creepover starts," Cleo began, sitting cross-legged, a position certainly not considered royal. She uncrossed her legs until stubbornly deciding to cross them again. She could sit however she pleased.

Ghoulia nodded once, not looking surprised at all. Perhaps she was feeling as bothered by the whole situation as much as Cleo. The thought made her feel at least a tiny bit better.

"I know you've already apologized for what happened earlier today, and I accept your apology." Cleo didn't add how she still felt something nagging at her despite the already given apology. "However, I would like to know why you snapped at me."

Her question was genuine, not in any way meant to be seen as a demand. She was sure if anyone other than Ghoulia was sitting before her they might not have understood that.

_"I was tired, Cleo. I didn't get much sleep the night before and sometimes I just want to be by myself."_

"I know, but-"

Before Cleo could say "you could have just said so", Ghoulia added, _"You snap at me often. Now you understand how that feels."_

The words hurt more than anything. Ghoulia could have slapped her or insulted her fuzzy creature slippers by calling them _"so last millennia"_ and it would have hurt less. Cleo sat, too stunned to say anything else, for once in her unlife completely speechless.

She knew she wasn't the nicest person around, she knew she wasn't the best friend a ghoul could ask for. She was difficult and hard to deal with and yet Cleo had always thought those were things Ghoulia could handle and maybe even appreciate. The thought that the way she felt today might have been how Ghoulia felt all the time almost made Cleo want to cry.

Nonetheless _royalty never shed a tear in front of others_ and that was one royal rule she didn't plan to break tonight.

"I do not mean to hurt your feelings, Ghoulia." She shook her head firmly. "I would never intend to make you... to make you feel how I felt today. I wouldn't-" Her words fell short after that, not sure where she was going with things, not used to having to be so open and honest. But if anyone deserved genuineness from her, it was Ghoulia. So she had to try.

 _"It's easy to say you don't mean to and I know you mean what you say,"_ Ghoulia interrupted before she could continue. _"But a little consideration would be appreciated. Friendships have to go both ways. I am your friend, not one of your servants."_

Cleo sniffed. Maybe she would break that royal rule tonight after all.

"Do I really make you feel so awful all of the time?"

Ghoulia shook her head. _"Of course not. We wouldn't be friends if that were the issue. You make me feel better, more confident, than any monster ever has. I value our friendship greatly._ But, _"_ she held up a finger to stop Cleo from interrupting, _"valuing our friendship doesn't necessarily mean our friendship is perfect."_

"I understand what you mean," Cleo wiped at her eyes, hoping her friend wouldn't comment on her doing so. She didn't. "I just hope you understand I feel the same way. I don't talk to you only because I want to _use_ you for things."

_"I know that."_

"Then why did you think I only wanted to copy your notes when I tried to talk to you today?" Cleo asked, hoping the question didn't sound as pathetic as she felt. "It made me feel... like you might think I don't genuinely want your company."

A small smile appeared on Ghoulia's face, but Cleo couldn't imagine why. She felt horrible, the conversation was horrible- and yet a tiny voice in the back of her mind was telling her talking things out like this for once with someone felt very, very good.

_"It was just a misunderstanding, I told you. I woke up on the wrong side of the tombstone this morning and took it out on you when that happened. I didn't mean to do so and I'm sor-"_

Cleo held up a single hand firmly, stopping her.

"No, I can't stand to listen to you saying you're sorry for the second time. _I'm_ the one who should be apologizing, Ghoulia. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I only want you around to do my bidding. I'm sorry I can be so difficult. I'm sorry for being such a bad-"

She certainly broke the rule right then. Her words were cut short when her throat tightened and she couldn't even process the broken record she had made on apologizing to someone (not once, not twice, but three times) because Ghoulia was pulling her close and hugging her like a good friend actually should and it only made Cleo want to cry harder.

"Why are you so nice to me, Ghoulia?" _When I'm so rude to you,_ she added in her head.

 _"Because you're just as nice to me,"_ Ghoulia explained, _"in your own way. I know you have trouble showing it at times but I'm willing to be patient. And do you know what that goes to show?"_

"What?"

_"It shows how good of a friend you really are, Cleo de Nile. You are someone worth spending time on, someone worth much more than just dealing with. And I wholeheartedly accept your apology."_

Cleo hugged Ghoulia back tighter, a feeling of warmth rushing over her. She was starting to notice the knot in her stomach finally beginning to loosen- could it be the easy solution all along was simply to apologize?

"I'm trying," was all she could say next, not sure how else to put everything she was feeling into actual words, and Ghoulia nodded.

_"I know you are."_

The two of them were interrupted by Hissette climbing onto the bed with them, curling up into Cleo's lap, silently demanding some attention be shed on her now.

Cleo cracked a smile as Ghoulia laughed and she knew then everything would be alright.

 _"How about we put in one of the movies I brought now?"_ Ghoulia suggested, turning to grab one of them.

"I've got a better idea." Cleo gently set Hissette down and moved to grab something. She proudly held up a copy of _The Breakfast Chamber._ "Let's watch this instead tonight. _Your_ favorite."

The grin lighting up on Ghoulia's face after that was enough to make Cleo feel like the richest mummy in the world.

_Yes, everything certainly would be alright._


End file.
